Department under fire over travel documents

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GOVERNMENT officials have been accused of issuing travel
documents in false identities for a Serbian couple in its bid to
deport them.

Labor yesterday claimed the Government had intentionally issued
the documents after Serbia refused to accept the couple back under
their real names. In a letter to migration agent Marion Le, the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade admitted it had issued
travel documents for Valbona Kola and her husband Ergi in two
different names.

The couple, who fled Serbia during the Balkan war, came to
Australia in 1999 after spending time in Albania, where they were
processed as refugees by the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees. Their claim for asylum in Australia failed, but Serbia
refused to take them back. The couple were placed in Baxter
Detention Centre last November and travel documents have since been
issued in different names.

Mr Kola, a stonemason, remains in Baxter. Mrs Kola was released
from psychiatric care 10 days ago and is expecting her first child
in November.

Labor's immigration spokesman Tony Burke accused the Government
of breaking the law and forging travel documents.

But Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone rejected the claims,
insisting her department had not knowingly requested false
documents. She said the department had uncovered fingerprint
evidence from Albanian police suggesting their real names were
Venona Vati and Paulin Pali and documents had been issued in those
names. Both sets of documents have now been cancelled.